Azerbaijan becomes first Shiite country to open embassy in Israel
The decision is a diplomatic victory for outgoing Prime Minister Yair Lapid. Meanwhile, incoming Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is struggling to assemble his ruling coalition.
TEL AVIV, Israel — Incoming Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is currently struggling with coalition talks. Among other things, it is still unclear who will lead Israel’s diplomacy in the coming years and what the guidelines are for Israel’s new foreign policy. Thus, with public attention focused on these talks, the decision by Azerbaijan’s parliament last Friday to open an embassy in Israel received little media coverage.
Israel and Azerbaijan have entertained diplomatic relations for three decades. Israel has an embassy in Baku, but Azerbaijan has no embassy in Israel. The decision to open one is clearly a major diplomatic achievement for outgoing Prime Minister Yair Lapid.
